Crimping apparatus



Feb. 14, 1956 E. H. SHATTUCK 2,734,229

CRIMPING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 22, 1954 lNVENT OR Ewart JZ Sflait' BYG)ATTORNEY United States Patent CRHVIPIN G APPARATUS Ewart H. Shattuck,Wilmington, Del., assignor to Joseph Bancroft & Sons Company,Wilmington, Del., a corporatlon of Delaware Application November 22,1954, Serial No. 470,297 6 Claims. (31. 19+) This invention relates toapparatus for crimping contmuous filament yarn and tow and has for anobject to provide an apparatus of the above type having novel andimproved characteristics.

Another object is to provide in a stuffer crimper novel and improvedmeans for regulating the feed of material into the crimping chamber.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of theinvention is more fully disclosed.

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in whicha specific embodiment has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a stutter crimper embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with parts in section to show thedetails of construction; and

P Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Referring tothe drawing more in detail a crimping chamber block is attached to asupporting plate 11 by screws 12. The block 10 is formed with a verticalbore in which a sleeve 13 is fixed as by a press fit. A tube 14 forminga crimping chamber fits loosely in the sleeve 13 and is secured by aclamping nut 15 threaded onto the tapered split end 16 of the sleeve 13.

A fixed bracket 20 is attached to the plate 11 by screws 21. The plate11 carries a bearing block 22 in which is journaled a shaft 23 carryinga feed roll 24.

An arm 25 is pivoted to the bracket 20 by a pin 26. The arm 25 carries abearing block 27 in which is journaled a shaft 28 carrying a feed roll29. The shaft 23 is driven by a motor, not shown. The shaft 28 is drivenin unison therewith by meshing gears 30 and 31 carried by the respectiveshafts.

The lower end of the tube 14 is slotted to receive the rolls 24 and 29and extends below the bite of the rolls to form therewith asubstantially closed chamber to receive the yarn 35 for crimping.

The feed rolls are held in adjustable pressure engagement with the yarn35 by a leaf spring 36 which is pivoted around a post 37 on the plate 11with its lower end attached by a link 38 to a pin 39 on the arm 25 andwith its upper end abutting against an adjustable screw 40 threaded in aplate 41 attached to the plate 11 by screws 42.

The tube 14 projects above the block 10. A tubular plunger 45 rests onthe crimped yarn 46 in the tube 14 and carries a collar 47 which isengaged by the forked end 48 of a lever 49 which is pivoted at 50 to theplate 11. The collar 47 also serves as a weight to determine the backpressure on the material 46 in the crimping chamber.

A link 54 extends between the lever 49 and an arm 55 attached to thescrew 40 and is so arranged that an upward pull on the link 54 turns thescrew 40 in a direction to reduce the pressure exerted by the spring 36on the 2,734,229 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 feed rolls 24 and 29. The screw40 is returned by a spring 56 attached to the arm 55. The crimped yarn46 is withdrawn from the crimping chamber through the plunger 45 bytake-up rolls 58 or is fed directly to a winder which may be of theconstant speed type, as set forth in the copending application of EwartH. Shattuck Serial No. 413,205 filed March 1, 1954 for Filament CrimpingApparatus. The yarn 35 is guided to the feed rolls by a guide 59 securedby an arm 60 to the plate 11.

In operation the feed rolls 24 and 29 are driven at constant speed by adriving means (not shown) and feed the yarn 35 into the crimping chamberagainst the pressure exerted by the mass of crimped yarn in saidchamber. The mass of crimped yarn is advanced along the chamber by thepressure of the incoming yarn and is withdrawn from the top of thechamber by take-up rolls 58.

The plunger 45 rests upon the mass of yarn in the chamber and rises orfalls according to the quantity of crimped yarn therein. When theplunger 45 rises it elevates the lever 49 and exerts a pull on the link54 which turns the screw 40 in a direction to reduce the pressureexertedby' the spring 36 on the feed rolls. This reduces the frictionalpull of the feed rolls and increases the yarn slippage, thereby reducingthe rate of feed into the chamber. Conversely, when the plunger 45falls, the link 54 falls and allows the screw 40 to turn in a directionto increase the pressure of the feed rollers and reduce the slippage ofthe yarn. The screw 40 is turned for this purpose by the spring 56 orthe link 54 may be made rigid in which case the spring 56 is notrequired.

The change in rate of feed thus produced is selected by adjustment ofthe parts so that the plunger 45 remains at a substantially constantlevel and the mass of crimped yarn in the crimping chamber is maintainedconstant. In this way a constant and uniform length of treatment in thecrimping chamber is assured.

The chamber may be heated by suitable means such as by electricalheating means as shown in said copending application.

It is to be understood that the invention is capable of various uses andthat changes and adaptations may be made therein as will be apparent toa person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for crimping yarn or the like comprising a member having abore forming a crimping chamber, a pair of feed rolls to feed said yarninto one end of said chamber for crimping, take up means to withdrawcrimped yarn from the other end of said chamber, a member bearingagainst the mass of crimped yarn at said other end of said chamber andmovable in accordance with changes in the quantity of said yarn therein,and feed control means responsive to movement of said member to vary thepressure of said feed rolls on said yarn to control the yarn slippage ina sense to maintain a constant quantity of yarn in said chamber.

2. Apparatus for crimping yarn or the like comprising a member having abore forming a crimping chamber, a pair of feed rolls to feed said yarninto one end of said chamber for crimping, take-up means to withdrawcrimped yarn from the other end of said chamber, a plunger in saidchamber bearing against the mass of crimped yarn therein and movable inaccordance with changes in quantity of yarn in said chamber and feedcontrol means responsive to movement of said plunger to vary thepressure of said feed rolls on said yarn to control the yarn slippage ina sense to maintain a constant quantity of yarn in said chamber.

3. Apparatus for crimping yarn or the like, comprising a crimpingchamber, a pair of feed rolls disposed to feed said yarn into one end ofsaid chamber for crimping,

means mounting said rolls for relative lateral movement, means holdingsaid rolls in pressure engagement with the yarn to be fed thereby, aplunger in said chamber bearing against the mass of crimped yarn thereinand movable in accordance with the quantity of .yarn in said chamber,means withdrawing crimped yarn from the other end of said chamber, andmeans responsive to movement of said plungers to vary the pressure ofsaid rolls on said yarn to control the yarn slippage in a sense tomaintain a constant quantity of yarn insaid chamber.

4. Apparatus for crimping yarn or the like, comprising a crimpingchamber, a pair of feed rolls disposed to feed said yarn into one end ofsaid chamber for crimping, a fixed support carrying one of said rolls, amovable support pivoted to said fixed support and carrying the other ofsaid rolls, spring means holding said rolls in pressure engagementwiththe yarn to be fed thereby, a plunger in the other .end of said chamberbearing against the mass of crimped yarn therein and movable inaccordance with changes in quantity of said yarn therein, meanswithdrawing crimped yarn from said other end of said chamber, and meansresponsive to movement of said plunger to vary the pressure of saidspring means so as to control the yarn slippage in a sense to maintain aconstant quantity of yarn in said chamber.

5. Apparatus for crimping yarn or the like, comprising a crimpingchamber, a pair of feed rolls disposed to feed said yarn into one end ofsaid chamber for crimping, a fixed support carrying one of said rolls, amovable support pivoted to said fixed support and carrying the other ofsaid rolls, spring-means holding said rolls in pressure engagement withthe yarn to be fed thereby, a plunger in the other end of said chamberbearing against the mass of crimped yarn therein and movable inaccordance with changes in quantity of said yarn therein, meanswithdrawing crimped yarn from said other end of said chamber, a screwcarried by said fixed support and adapted to control the pressure ofsaid spring means, a lever actuated by movement of said plunger, and alink connecting said lever to turn said screw to vary the yarn slippagein a sense to maintain a constant quantity of yarn in said chamber.

6. Apparatus for crimping yarn or the like comprising a member having abore forming a crimping chamber, a pair of feed rolls to feed said yarninto one end of said chamber for crimping, take up means to withdrawcrimped yarn from the other end of said chamber, and means responsive tovariations in quantity of material in said chamber to vary the pressureexerted by said feed rolls on said yarn to control the yarn slippage ina sense to maintain said quantity constant.

No references cited.

